Hurricane Erin Strengthens to Category 4, Looms Large for US East Coast

The National Hurricane Center warns that Hurricane Erin, now a Category 4 storm, poses significant risks to the eastern US coastline, impacting areas like the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Erin has intensified into a formidable Category 4 storm, raising alarms along the US East Coast due to the potential for dangerous surf and rip currents. Currently, those in the southern Bahamas and the Turk and Caicos Islands are under a tropical storm warning as the storm begins to unleash its heavy rains. Although Erin is not projected to make direct landfall on these islands, meteorological models indicate they could see rainfall accumulation of up to six inches (15.2cm).

Erin marked its beginnings as the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, initially escalating to a Category 5 before fluctuating in strength. In Puerto Rico, over 150,000 individuals experienced power outages caused by strong winds damaging electrical infrastructure, but Luma, the local energy provider, announced substantial progress in repairs, restoring electricity to 95% of its customers by Sunday evening.

According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), the hurricane's outer rain bands are beginning to impact the Bahamas, prompting the country's Disaster Risk Management Authority to advise residents on safety measures. Aarone Sargent, the authority's managing director, urged Bahamians to familiarize themselves with local shelter options, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of tropical storms. The NHC predicts that Erin’s core will navigate east of the southeastern Bahamas today, continuing towards Bermuda and the US East Coast midweek, and cautions that it will remain a "large and dangerous hurricane."

Preparations are particularly important in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation for Hatteras Island. These measures come with warnings about potential roadway inaccessibility due to heavy surf and high winds. The impending storm could also bring dangerous rip tides affecting the entire US East Coast, urging residents and visitors to heed safety warnings as Erin approaches.